Identification Nomination the Historie Area of Willemstad, Inner City And

Apart from its other qualities, this particular aspect of the nominated area is testimony to the confirmation of the Caribbean region as a cultural and historical entity. This isjust one of the aspects that identifies its position as an historie port to\\-11 of outstanding universal value. The unique setting in a natural harbour makes Willemstad an historie port to\\-11 of great distinction. This character is enhanced by the fact that its four historie urban districts were established on different flat and sloping sites separated by the natural waters of Sint Anna Bay and Waaigat. Rather than being elements of separation, these natural waters link the Identification historie urban districts of PlDl.da, Otrobanda, Pietermaai, and Scharloo and integrate them into an Nomination The Historie Area of Willemstad, exciting to\Wscape of colourful facades along inner city and harbour stretches of lively quays, and even a "water plaza" (Plaza Brion). This setting qualifies the Historie Area Location The Island Territory of Curaçao, The of Willemstad as a rare example of an historie port Netherlands Antilles to\\-11 laid out in a setting of natural waters. State Parly The Netherlands The strength of this complex of cultural properties - core area, transmission areas, and buffer zones - is Date 11 July 1996 that its urban structure and architecture conspicuously reflect the subsequent stages of historical development over the course of the centuries. The city can be easily read and used as a textbook for its Justification by State P.arty , historical and cultural development. With Punda, Sint The Historie Area of Willemstad stands out for the Anna Bay, and Otrobanda forming the historie core diversity in the historical morphology of its four area, Pietermaai, Scharloo, and Kortijn represent historie districts (Punda, Otrobanda, Pietermaai, and historie transmission areas expressing the historical Scharloo). The city's historical architecture is of a continuity ofWillemstad. strikingly genuine and colourful European origin set Both the historical urban fabric and the historical in a tropical environment. Its li.ke cannot be found architecture have proved to be durable elements over elsewhere in the Dutch West or East In dies. PlDl.da more than three centuries. These have been able to represents a dense and compact historical urban survive the effects of continuo us social and economie structure, reflecting its origin as a fortified to\\-11 development. surrounded by ramparts. Pietermaai and Scharloo enjoy the relative freedom of space resulting in an With this, the Historie Area of Willemstad open layout of streets lined by detached and often lDliversally stands out as a type of city which quite luxurious dwellings, whilst Otrobanda features genuinely demonstrates continuity in historical and both an open compolDl.d layout and a dense ailey social-cultural development over the course of structure. centuries through an authentic historie urban structure and architecture. The urban structure and architecture of the Historie Area of Willemstad are both authentic examples of [Note The State Party does not make any proposais colonial to\\-11 planning and architecture of the period in the nomination dossier conceming the criteria of Dutch expansion. Its cultural and historical under which it considers the property should be significance stems not only from its to\\-11 planning inscribed on the W orld Heritage List.] and architectural qualities as an historie port to\\-11, but is also manifest beyond the local level. Category of property Within the Caribbean region, the inner city and harbour of Willemstad share a common cultural In terms of the categories of cultural property set out history with other cities such as Old Havana, the San in Article 1 of the 1972 World Heritage Convention, Juan Historie Site, Cartagena de Indias, the Colonial this property is a group ofbuildings. City of Santo Domingo, and other cities of English and French origin. This common history of colonial European origin, seemingly strange, is expressed in an History and Description astonishing diversity of cultural heritage within the region. Together with the historie cities and sites History mentioned above and already on the World Heritage The island society on Curaçao (which covers sorne List, Willemstad belongs to a distinct category of 450km2) owes its origin to the expansion of Europe in cities which form a regional system linked by the the 15th and 16th centuries. After Spain had cords of a common cultural history, each with a encroached upon the island in 1499 at the expense of distinct expression of its o\\-11. its indigenous inhabitants, the Arawak Indians, the

86 Dutch took possession of it in 1634, in the period of Within each of the settlements flanking the Bay there Dutch domination of trade and the seas, and the is a waterfront square (Gouvemementsplein in PWlda, settlement was created by the Dutch West India Plaza Brion in Otrobanda), and they are lin.ked by the Company (West-lndische Compagnie - WlC). Apart famous pontoon bridge erected in 1888, officially from two briefBritish occupations (1800-3 and 1807- known as the Queen Emma Bridge but better known 16), the island remained Dutch colonial territory Wltil to the inhabitants as ''the Swinging Old Lady." 1955, when the Netherlands Antilles acquired self­ government within the Kingdom of the Netherlands. The development of PWlda began with the construction of Fort Amsterdam (1634-38), designed Willemstad is a typical port town, but one without a according to the Old Dutch fortification system (Oud­ hinterland, which focused on the neighbouring Nederlands Stelsel). The 1.5ha fort with its five Spanish, English, and French colonies on the bastions was a self-contained settlement, with its own mainland of South America and in the Caribbean. church and water-supply as well as the residence of Frequent trade with South America (the Spanish the govemor and barracks for the garrison. The Main) led not only to an exchange of goods but also southem bastion was demolished in 1639, its the reciprocal adoption of cultural elements. Curaçao materials being used to build a wall from the eastern therefore bas an Iberian tinge, not !east as a result of bastion to the Waaigat, thereby isolating the tip of the settlement of Sephardic Jews from Spain and land on the peninsula from its hinterland and laying Portugal, who came there in the 17th century by way the basis for the establishment of a fortified town. The of Amsterdam. By 1730 the Jewish community Fort Church, originally wooden, was rebuilt in represented 50% of the white population of Curaçao. limestone in 1745. The Fort retains its administrative African influences also entered the island, since function as the centre of the national government and Curaçao was a centre of the slave trade at one period. residence of the Govemor of the Netherlands Antilles. The city developed on both banks of Sint Anna Bay, The walled town of Willemstad was laid out aroWld which forms the narrow entrance to the sheltered 1650 adjacent to the Fort on an orthogonal grid inland bay of Schottegat; both are excellent deep­ pattern. It was enlarged in 16 74 by filling part of the water harbours. Settlement started on the eastern side, W aaigat. By the beginning of the 18th century there known as PWlda, in the 17th century. Otrobanda, on were over two hWldred dwellings within the ramparts: the western side, developed at the beginning of the two- and three-storey buildings with balconies on 18th century and a little later aroWld Waaigat, the long narrow plots. The ramparts survived Wltil 1866, inner bay behind an elongated peninsula facing the when they were demolished following changes in Caribbean. military strategy. Within the district one of the most striking buildings is the 1732 synagogue, Mikvé There was sorne decline in the condition of the Israël-Emanuel. The sober and impressive interior of historie city in the second half of the 20th century, this building, the oldest ofits type in the New World, with the departure of many of the more prosperous was inspired by Esnoga, the Portuguese synagogue in members of the community, but this bas now been Amsterdam. halted and is being reversed. The development of Otroban·da, on the opposite Description (western) side of Sint Anna Bay, did not begin Wltil The Historie Area of Willemstad proposed for 1707. Initially the buildings there could not exceed inscnphon on the World Heritage List features a one storey, so as not to mask the field of tire from townscape of four historie urban districts - PWlda, Fort Amsterdam. Not being enclosed by defences, Pietermaai, Otrobanda, and Scharloo - separated by Otrobanda developed differently from PWlda. The the open waters of a natural harbour. It covers an area earliest buildings are laid out as detached structures of 190ha, including the buffer zones which both link on spacious lots, and with their central core and set the boWldaries of the four historie districts. surroWlded by a gallery resemble plantation bouses Each of these districts bas its own distinct urban outside the city. In the southem section there is a morphology resulting from successive planning sharp increase in density, sin ce this developed as a concepts, but they share a unique "tropicalized" working-class neighbourhood with craft workshops historical architecture ofDutch origin. and dwellings on a maze of small alleys. The nominated area consists of a core a rea, consisting The fust of the transmission areas, Pietermaai, which of Sint Anna Bay and part of the Caribbean Sea, lies to the east of PWlda, developed in the 18th and PWlda, and most of Otrobanda, and two transmission 19th centuries. It was settled by rich shipmasters and a reas, consisting of the urban districts of Pietermaai, traders and, after 1816, by high-ranking Dutch Scharloo, and Kortijn. There are also two buffer zones administrators. Its character is therefore that of a (see below, "Management"). linear development along the Caribbean coast of stately, colowful mansions. In the core area the entrance to Sint Anna Bay is protected by fortifications on both si des - the W ater To the north of the Waaigat, Scharloo was a Fort on the PWlda side and the Rif Fort on the plantation area in the 18th century, but aroWld the Otrobanda side. These defensive works are important mid 19th century it was transformed into a residential and relatively weil preserved examples of quarter, favoured by wealthy Jewish merchants. A contemporary fortifications, especially when taken number of extensive and luxurious estates resulted, with other surviving defensive works that lie outside especially after 1870. Kortijn was a late 19th century the nominated area. expansion to the north-west ofOtrobanda into another

87 plantation (the main bouse of which still survives). • The Island Ordinance for Urban and Regional The buildings are modest in scale compared with Development for Curaçao (1980); those in the other transmission areas, but they are considerable interest, since they include sorne • The Island Development Plan for Curaçao 1995; excellent examples of early 20th century popular dwellings. • The Monuments Plan 1990. Under the fust of these over 750 individual The architecture of Willemstad began historically monuments were designated. The 1995 Island with the direct importation of the Dutch styles of the Development Plan provides the legal framework for 16th and 17th centuries. However, climatic influences evaluating plans for new building and rehabilitation in led gradually to the development of a local the historie inner city. Specifie guidelines are laid architectural style, using local materials and down for planning and design within the protected craftsmanship. The 17th century bouses in Punda zone. were in traditional Dutch style - two- or three-storey buildings on a narrow frontage, the ground floor being Management used as a shop or warehouse and the upper floors for living quarters. They were built in brick of Dutch Most of the buildings and plots in the Historie Area of origin, plastered externally, and with steeply pitched Willemstad are privately owned. An exception is Fort roofs. They have typically high facades with Amsterdam, 'Which is government-owned. In triangular gables. Wooden or stone galleries were Scharloo-Ost there is a number of monumental introduced in the 18th century as protection against buildings that are owned by the island government or the sun. Following a government order in 1817 the institutes connected with it. facades, hitherto lime-washed, were brightly coloured The island government began acquiring historie in red, blue, and yellow ochre, and later in various buildings in the 1980s as part of the implementation shades of green. A number of fine examples of this of its Inner City Action Plan, and this work is being type of bouse survive in Punda. carried on by the Curaçao Foundation for In the 18th century the so-called Curaçao Baroque Preservation. the Willemstad Rehabilitation architecture evolved, with facades in a wide variety of Corporation, and the Curaçao Housing Foundation. forms, the curved gable being the uni.fying feature. In 1988 the inter-regional committee "Action The best known example is the Penha Building, a Willemstad" was set up jointly by the governments of three-storey structure at the harbour entrance. There the Netherlands, the Netherlands Antilles, and the are also good examples of Curaçao Baroque in Island Territory of Curaçao, to stimulate and promote Otrobanda and Scharloo; however, since there was preservation activities in the Historie Area and to much more space in these districts and many of the prepare its nomination to the W orld Heritage List. buildings were detached, there are facades on ali four sides of a number ofthese. Island official bodies involved in the protection and conservation of the Historie Area are the Curaçao The 19th century saw a more restrained style being Monuments Council (an advisory body with certain adopted, with straight gables replacing elaborate executive powers), the Monuments Bureau (a division curved gables and the galleries incorporated into the of the Department of Urban and Regional bouse fronts. This type of architecture is to be found Development Planning and Housing), the Urban especially in Otrobanda and Pietermaai, along with Renewal Secretariat, and the Steering Committee for Classicist buildings, this style having been introduced Urban Redevelopment. in the 19th century and having found special favour with house-owners in Scharloo and the northern part A number of voluntary bodies are active in this field. of Otrobanda. A particularly fine example is the Villa They include the Curaçao Foundation for Belvedere in Otrobanda. Preservation, the Curaçao Housing F oundation, the Curaçao Monuments Fund Foundation, and the Willemstad Rehabilitation Corporation. Management and Protection Coordination of the activities and strategies of this Legal status large number of bodies is the role of the Monuments Bureau. An interlocking system of laws and ordinances constitute a formai policy for individual properties, groups, and the townscape as a 'Who le: Conservation and Authenticity • The National Monuments Ordinance (1977), Conservation history followed by the current 1989 update, which provides the legal framework for; The national government took its fust hesitant steps towards the development of a policy for monument • The Island Monuments Ordinance for Curaçao preservation in 1913, but nothing positive resulted. (1990) and the Register of Monuments; Several efforts were made in subsequent decades: an initial inventory of monuments was compiled shortly • The National Ordinance Principles for Urban and after World War II, and in 1944 a Monuments Regional Development (1976), which provide the Commission was set up, which produced an extensive legal framework for: report with recommendations for a monuments

88 policy. A draft ordinance was laWlched in 1954, but industrial installations, such as the oil refinery, and failed to obtain approval. modem housing developments, from the Historie Area. Only the electricity generating station behind The situation began to change with the publication in the Rif Fort obtrudes, and this is scheduled for 1959 of The Monuments of Curaçao in Text and demolition within the next year. lllustrations by M D Ozinga, whose work while in progress had encouraged the creation of the Curaçao Authenticity F oWldation for Preservation. The inventory of monuments drawn up by C L Temminck Groll in Most of the historie urban structure of Willemstad 1966 formed the basis for the preliminary Monuments dating from 1650-1800 is still extant and is the Plan for the Netherlands Antilles in 1976. authentic setting for many monuments that are authentic in design, materials, and craftsmanship. Following the implementation of the National Given that this has been an active port and Monuments Ordinance in 1979, a comprehensive administrative centre for three centuries, it may be survey was carried out in the 1980s, resulting in the deemed to have retained a substantial level of 1986 Inventory of Monuments on Curaçao and a authenticity. Memorandum for Initial Actions for a Monuments Policy. A series of legal instruments (see ''Legal Specially praiseworthy is the strict observance of rule status" above) were set in place, culminating in the relating to the replacement of irnported materials in 1995 Island Development Plan for Curaçao. There is restoration and conservation projects. Bricks and tiles now a very strong will on the part both of government are obtained directly from The Netherlands. The and of the local population to preserve the historie Dutch Monuments Service (Monumentenzorg) character of Willemstad, which is manifested on the maintains stocks of such materials on Curaçao, and one band by the effective legislative framework that also has a laboratory devoted to restoration and bas been created and on the other by the number of building research. volWltary bodies now in existence, working alongside the official institutions. Evaluation It would be wrong to deny, however, that the island has Wldergone sorne drastic changes in its economie Action by ICOMOS development during the 20th century, which have An ICOMOS expert mission visited Willemstad in affected the historie urban structure of Willemstad. December 1996. The fust, and most profoWld, was the establishment Qualities ofthe Shell oil refinery at Schottegat in 1916, which changed the traditional fimction of Sint Anna Bay as a The Historie Area of Willemstad is an exceptionally harbour for local trade to a busy passage from the weil preserved example of a Dutch fortified colonial open sea to Schottegat. This led to infilling of open trading and administrative centre. It is an admirable areas of Otrobanda and a general expansion of the illustration of the transfer of European urban and town beyond its traditionallimits. architectural traditions into the New World, and distinct in the evidence that it provides of its Dutch The access roads for the Queen Juliana Bridge, built ancestry from contemporary Spanish, Portuguese, in 1974, eut through the historie districts of English, or French settlements aroWld the Caribbean. Otrobanda and Scharloo. Although they have deeply scarred the townscape, they have not significantly It does not contain any outstanding individual affected the urban fabric at major points. buildings or structures. Its importance resides in the urban fa bric and the townscape, with their blending of Destructive fires in Punda and Otrobanda during a European and Caribbean elements to create a popular uprising in May 1969 damaged sorne key colourful and culturally dynamic whole. historie areas, notably the water:front Plaza Brion. FortWlately, this area escaped Wlsympathetic urban Comparative analysis development in the years that followed and is now Willemstad is one of a number of administrative and covered by an Area Development Plan designed to trading settlements set up by the Dutch during the maintain its historie form and make it once again a 16th- 18th centuries in many parts of the world. The lively waterfront square. most significant of those created by the Dutch East Elsewhere, only in the buffer zones bas there been India Company (Verenigde Oost-Indische Compagnie modem development (such as the ABN Bank building - VOC) were Cape Town (Kaapstad) in South A:frica, in Pietermaai, the high-rise hotel on part of the Water Cochin in Kerala (India), Galle, Colombo, and Jaffila Fort, or the filling of part of the W aaigat to make a in Sri Lanka, and Jakarta (Batavia) in lndonesia. The car-park) that is not wholly consistent with the WIC foWlded settlements in New York (Nieuw­ townscape. Redevelopment plans from the l980s Amsterdam) in the USA, Paramaribo in Surinam, onwards have resulted in successful projects such as Recife (Mauritstad) in Brazil, and Willemstad. the rehabilitation of the Rif Fort, restoration of the They bad certain elements in common, notably the dense network of alleys in Otrobanda, and redesign of exportation of Dutch town-planning and architectural the Matthey wharf as a water:front promenade. traditions, but differ as a result of the local influences It is worth y of note that the topographical situation of that made themselves felt as time passed. There are the town is such that the semi-circular ring of high also other significant differences, depending upon groWld to the north very effectively masks the 20th whether military or civil authorities were responsible 89 for town layouts and whether they were fortified or lUldefended. For these reasons Galle, which is already on the W orld Heritage List, differs significantly from Willemstad. The latter is also of especial interest in that it preserves excellent examples of both walled (Willemstad) and lUldefended (Otrobanda) settlements. It bas also preserved its original fa bric to a much greater extent than any of the other towns, apart from Galle: over half of the buildings are protected monuments, and there are other authentic survivais from the town's three centuries ofhistory. ICOMOS recommendations for future action ICOMOS wishes to draw the attention of the competent authorities to the desirability of improving the tourist facilities at the forts defending the harbour and Fort Amsterdam. These would be better defined and presented if sorne of the extraneous construction in front of them could be removed; floodlighting would also improve their attractiveness.

Recommendation That this property be inscribed on the W orid Heritage List on the basis of criteria i~ iv, and v: The Historie Area of Willemstad is a European colonial ensemble in the Caribbean of outstanding value and integrity, which illustrates the organic growth of a multicultural community over three centuries and preserves to a high degree signifi­ cant elements of the many strands that came together to create it.

ICOMOS, September 1997

90 legal protection zone (Island Development Pian) · Ca ribbean Se a 1 . ' " 1 core area \ transmission ares L _ :J bufferzone \

0 100 250 500 m Ilh e lslend Te«

Willemstad : Maisons de marchands juifs dans la Herenstraat, Punda (1706) 1 Jewish merchants bouses in Herenstraat, Punda (1706)